Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned because sometimes the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is so fixated on the pro-cyclical concern that those involved miss the main point, which is that we must also get this country out of austerity and start giving something back, if I can put it that way.

It is as much about giving confidence after so many austerity budgets which cut expenditure. If we were to take the approach of reducing the national debt it would kill off whatever confidence the people have that they will ever see the end of this.